Italy’s unemployment rate fell to 5.1% in January, down 0.4 percentage points from the previous month and marking the lowest level since records began in 2004, according to provisional data released by the Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (Istat).
Youth unemployment also declined, dropping to 18.9% (-1.9 points). Meanwhile, the employment rate rose to 62.6%, up 0.2 points month-on-month, while the inactivity rate stood at 33.9%.
The number of employed people increased by 80,000 compared with December (+0.3%), reaching 24.181 million. Job growth mainly involved men, employees and self-employed workers, and all age groups except those aged 15–24. Female employment remained broadly stable.
Comparing the November 2025–January 2026 quarter with the previous three-month period, employment rose slightly (+23,000), while the number of job seekers declined significantly (-125,000). However, the number of inactive individuals aged 15–64 increased by 116,000.
On an annual basis, employment was up 70,000 compared with January 2025, driven primarily by women and workers aged 50 and over. The employment rate remained unchanged year-on-year. Over the same period, the number of job seekers fell sharply (-384,000), while the inactive population increased by 322,000.